Wrench.



E. S. MILLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 05019. 1912.

Patented May4, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTC-LITHKI. WASHINGTUN. D, C.

- tINHE EDWIN S. MILLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed December 19, 1912. Serial No. 737,636.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, EDWIN S. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to wrenches of that character in which the head is provided with two jaws one of which is adjustable relatively to the other for adapting the same to screw nuts, bolt heads or the like of varying sizes for turning the same. 7

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved wrench of this character which does not require complete removal from the screw nut or bolt head upon changing the position of the wrench relatively to such nut or head but enables the shifting of the wrench ciroumferentially of the nut, or head to be effected with a ratchet action, and which enables this action to be efiected easily and without incurring any material increase in the cost of manufacture over wrenches as heretofore constructed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench embodying my improvements and showing the same engaging the head of a hexagon screw bolt in V the act of turning the wrench. forwardly. Fig. 9. is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the same showing the position of the parts of the wrench while turning the same backwardly relatively tothe bolt head for taking a new hold of the same. Figs. 3

and 4. are fragmentary longitudinal sections taken in the correspondingly numbered linesin Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the wrench showing the same provided with a form of handle different from that shown in Fig. 1 and also showing the manner in which its jaws engage with a square screw head or nut in the operation of turning the wrench forwardly. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the position of the parts when turning the wrench backwardly relatively to the screw nut or head for taking a new hold of the latter.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the head of the wrench which may be of any suitable construction inner inclined and provided with a handle which may be arranged either at an angle to the longitudinal center of the wrench, as shown at 2 in Figs. 1 and 2or parallel with this center, as shown at 3 in Figs. 5 and 6. At one end the head is provided on its outer side, with an arm projecting laterally therefrom, this arm being preferably bifurcated and its members 4 separated so as to leave an intervening space between the same. On this arm is pivotally mounted one jaw of the wrench the axis of this pivotal connection being arranged transversely of the wrench so that this jaw can swing or turn in a plane parallel with the general plane of the wrench. In its preferred form this jaw has a contracted or narrow rear part 5. which is arranged between the members of the bifurcated arm and pivoted thereto by means of a transverse pin 6 and a wide front part 7 which provides a comparatively. wide bearing face on the front side of this. jaw for engaging the article to be gripped and also to form a shoulder which cooperates with a shoulder on the arm for limiting the inward swinging movement of the pivoted jaw on the arm. The face of the swinging jaw preferably comprises an outer straight portion 8 which is normally arranged lengthwise of the wrench and an portion 9 extending inwardly and forwardly from the inner end of the straight portion 8, as shown in Fig. 1. The straight portion of the face of the pivoted jaw extends inwardly beyond the axis of its pivotal connection with the arm.

In its preferred form-the means for limiting the inward turning movement of the pivoted jaw utilize. the outeror rear side of the enlarged inner part of the jaw by constructing the same in the form of an angular stop shoulder 10 which engages with a correspondingly formed stop shoulder 11 on the inner or front side of the members of the arm, as shown in Fig. 1.

On the opposite end of the head is mounted another jaw 12 which is preferably mounted slidably on the head so that the same is capable of adjustment toward and from the pivoted jaw. This adjustable jaw is provided witha bearing or gripping face which preferably comprises an outer straight sit its

portion 13 which is arranged lengthwise of purpose of adapting the mouth or space bei 45. I nal outer face of the pivoted jaw bears against the adjacentpart' of the screw head head in its movement toward and from the pivoted jaw in any suitable manner for the tween these jaws to screw heads or nuts of different sizes, the means for this purpose shown in the drawings being preferred and consisting of a slide15 carrying the adjustable jaw and. moving in a guideway- 16 formed in the head. The preferred means for shifting the adjustable jaw toward and from thepivoted jaw comprises a rotatable worm 17 arranged within an opening 18 in the head of the wrench and engaging with a gear rack 19 on the inner side of the slide, and a pivot pin 20 which is secured to the head and upon which the worm is journaled. The opposite sides ofthe worm are accessible from the exterior of the head sothat the same may be engaged by the fingers and turned in one direction or the other for causing the adjustable jaw to be moved toward and from the normally fixed but pivoted aw. V

i For the purpose of turning a particular size of hexagonal screw nut or head 21 the jaws of the wrench are adjusted relatively to each other so that the distance between the longitudinal outer faces of these jaws is equalor nearly equal to thewidth of two parallel facets on opposite sidesof the nut or'head to be turned and the wrench is applied to this head or nut so that two diametrically opposite facets of the nut or head are received by the longitudinal outer parts of the faces of the jaws while the inner converging facets of the nut or head are received or stand opposite the inclined inner or converging face portions of these jaws. Upon turning the-parts are in this position the longitudior nut at a point inwardly from the axis of the pivoted jaw while the longitudinal face of the adjustable jaw bears near its outer end against the adjacent outer part ofthe head or nut, as shown'in Fig. 1, whereby the latter is compelled to turn forwardly with the wrench inasmuch as both jaws are practically rigid at this time relatively 'to the head. Upon turning the wrench circumferentially backward relatively to the screw head or nut the rearward pressure exerted by engagement of the screw nut or head against the pivoted jaw near its outer end which is outwardly beyond the axis'of the pivot 6 causes this'j aw to turn about its axis so that the outer part of the jaw swings rearwardly away from the opposing adjustable jaw while the inner part of the pivoted the wrench forwardly while jaw swingsforwardly lengthwise outwardly relatively to the mouth of the jaws, thereby causing the space between the aws to flare outwardly. and the jaws to be partly withdrawn fromthe screw nut or head which is being operated upon. While the jawsare thus partly released from the screw head or nut thesame may be freely turned circumferentially relatively thereto in a backward direction until the longitudinal faces of the jaws are again opposite two parallel facets of the screw head or nut and at this time the pivoted jaw will be again returned to its normal position by the pressure of the same against the screwnut or head and the two longitudinal portions ofthe faces of these jaws may be engaged with the next following pair of diametrically opposite facets of the screw nut or head in the manner previously described, thereby interlocking the wrench with the screw head or nut preparatory to turning the latter forward another step by means of the wrench. In this manner the screw head or nut may be turned. intermittently by means of the wrench with a ratchet action during'which the wrench is at no time wholly withdrawn from the screw nut or head. Inasmuch as the wrench need not be wholly removed from this screw nut or head upon takinga new holdof the head or nut the operation of either loosening or tightening a screw head or nut is greatly facilitated and can be effected in much less time than is required by the use of an ordinary wrench which necessitates complete removal of the wrench from the screw nut or head for shifting the same from onepair of facets on the screw head or nut to another pair. Furthermore, by providing the wrench head with the pivoted jaw both jaws may be engaged with a large area of'the screw head or nut to be turned, thereby securing a firm engagement of the wrench with said article and permitting of exerting greater power on the article for turning the same. y

By providing the inclined inner face'portions on the jaws the latter may be materially strengthened at these places and still provide the necessary clearance or space for' tion between this jaw and the head and at the same time present a bearing surface to the article to be turned equal in width and area to that of the adjustable jaw, thereby enabling the wrench to obtain a firmer and stronger grip on said article and enable the latter to be turned easily and positively.

Furthermore, by providing the swinging jaw and the arm of the head with co6perat-.

ing angular shoulders, these parts are caused to interlock in the normal position of the swinging jaw and prevent the latter from becoming displaced relative to the arm during the forward turnin Wrench independently of the pivot pin connecting the swinging jaw with the arm. It

is also to be noted that by this construction of the jaws the inner part of their faces form extended bearing surfaces for engagement with the object to be grasped in all positions of these jaws within the adjustable limits of the wrench instead of producing line contacts with the same.

When utilizing this wrench for turning screw nuts or heads 22 of square form, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the operation is substantially the same as that when turning hexagon or other forms of heads or nuts, the only difference being that the converging space between the inner parts of the jaws is not occupied by any part of the screw nuts or heads when the latter are of square form.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the movement of. the I I claim as my invention:

A wrench comprising a head having an arm at one end and a slot formed lengthwise in the outer edge of the head and said arm whereby the latter is divided into two members, a swinging jaw arranged in that portion of said slot between said arm members and pivotally connected therewith, a

slide movable lengthwise within said slot at the opposite end thereof and provided with a jaw adapted to cooperate with said swinging jaw, and means arranged on said head for adjusting said slide and its jaw lengthwise in said slot, the inner parts of the faces of said jaws forming extended bearing surfaces for engagement with the object grasped in all positions of these jaws Within the adjustable limits of the wrench.

Witness my hand this 13th day of December, 1912.

EDWIN S. MILLER. l/Vitnesses:

THEO. L. Porr, ANNA HEIGIS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). O. 

